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Palm Beach Fire-Rescue and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission took care of the injured pregnant sea turtle before turning it over to Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Jupiter for treatment. Photo by Ivy Yin.

Palm Beach Fire-Rescue and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission took care of the injured pregnant sea turtle before turning ... read more

The turtle was named Smiley, after the North Fire-Rescue station nickname.

“If it wasn’t for them she wouldn’t have been rescued,” said the center’s veterinary technician, Samantha Clark. “So, we named it after the station.”

Clark said Smiley suffered a deep wound to her neck muscle making it difficult for her to lift her neck to breathe while swimming. She said it’s not a typical turtle injury. The wound appears to be at least a few days old since they found maggots in it.

Smiley’s caretakers are optimistic she’ll survive, but can’t say for sure if she will.

“She’s staying in the hospital to make sure she doesn’t drown,” Clark said.

Ivy Yin, a photographer with Our Children’s Earth Foundation was driving on South Ocean Boulevard and documented the turtle rescue.

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